Method of making sealed joint piston rings



Examinm Jan. 15, 1935. H, OLSON 1,987,866

METHOD OF MAKING SEALED JOINT PISTON RINGS Filed Dec. 18. 1933 In I fl n Patented Jan. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES txamine PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING SEALED JOINT PISTON RINGS Holly M. Olson, Muskegon, Mich., assignor to Sealed Power Corporation, Muskegon, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application December 18, 1933, Serial No. 702,937

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to piston rings and more particularly is directed to the type of joint between the ends of a ring and also the method of manufacturing this joint.

One of the main advantages of my invention resides in the particular joint, this providing a vertical seal and also providing a horizontal seal at the lower edge of the ring. Thus, it will be seen that oil cannot pass upwardly past the ring and furthermore oil cannot pass upwardly and inwardly at the bottom of the ring. However, the products of combustion, this being known as blowby, may enter behind the ring to augment its expansion.

Another advantage which goes hand in hand with the advantage just recited lies in the method of manufacturing my ring, this consisting of a novel series of steps as will be set forth in the specification.

Further advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawing:-

Fig. l is a perspective view of my completed ring.

Fig. 2 is a. side view of my ring after the first two cutting operations have been performed thereon.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, this view illustrating the third step of the process.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the ring illustrating the fourth cutting operation.

Fig. '7 is a plan view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view looking from the inside of the ring and illustrating the fifth operation upon the ring.

Fig. 9 is an under plan view of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a side view showing the next step of the process, namely cutting the semi-cylindrical recess to receive a holding pin therein.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the ring in its operative position.

Fig. 13 also shows the ring closed, this view being taken from underneath the ring.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing, numeral 10 indicates the ring generally and this ring is cast in a substantially circular form, the usual gap piece therein being removed during the following cutting operations.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the first two cutting operations consist in placing the ring in a horizontal position and then cutting out a rectangular upper portion of the ring as indicated by the numeral 11 and also a smaller rectangular portion as indicated by the numeral 12. It is to be noted that these cuts are square cuts made across the ring and are easily and economically performed.

The next step is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and consists in squaring and cutting to length the extreme ends of the ring, this cut likewise being square across the ring and easily made and removing the portions of the ring as indicated by the dotted line showing of Fig. 4, a reference numeral 13 indicating these cut away portions.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and '7, these views illustrating the fourth step of the process, it will be seen that the tongue 14 is cut away at 15, thus forming a small or auxiliary tongue 16. The cut 15 is a vertical out easily made.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the next step of the process and this step consists of utilizing a circular cutter wherein the recess 17 is formed. It is desired to explain at this point that all of the previous steps of the process merely consists of straight cutting operations and therefore are very easily made. The present step is the only step in which a circular cutter needs be used.

Following the step just described, if desired, the ends of the ring may be positioned together and the semi-circular cut as indicated at 18 be performed, this providing a recess to receive a pm.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the right side of the parting of the ring is formed with a larger tongue 14 and a smaller tongue 16. The other end of the ring has a tongue 19 and the recess 1'7. See Figs. 8 and 9. Compression of the ring causes the auxiliary tongue 16 to enter the.recess 17 while the larger portion of the tongue 14, comes underneath and contacts against the lower side of the tongue 19. This contact forms a horizontal seal against the passage of oil upwardly and also against the passage of gases downwardly as it extends the full width of the ring.

The auxiliary tongue 16 extends into the groove 17 and its outer face rides against the outer face of the recess 1'7, see Fig. 13 and thus oil cannot pass inwardly at the lower edge of the ring. Neither can the oil pass upwardly as a horizontal seal is provided as previously set forth. Thus a very efficient ring is had.

From the above description. it will be seen that my ring is easily manufactured for a number of reasons. One reason is that the steps of the process are all performed with the ring in an undistorted position. that is, th rings d not need to be forced from their natural position during the cutting operations thereon unless it is desired to form the semi-cylindrical recess while the ring is positioned as shown in Fig. 12. It will be apparent that this operation can be performed while the ends of the ring are separated as shown in Fig. 10.

Another advantage, as previously referred to, resides in the type of cutting tools used, square cuts being performed with the exception of the forming of the recess 17.

The nature and scope of the invention are set forth in the above specification, taken with the drawing, showing the construction in which the principle of my invention is embodied; and the novel features thereof are specified in the appended claims. But this disclosure is explanatory only and I may in practice vary the structural details actually shown, without departing from the spirit of the invention, to the full extent indicated by the broad and general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

I claim:

1. The process of manufacturing a piston ring which consists in cutting a portion out of each of the opposed sides of the ring, then cutting away the ring between said first mentioned removed portions to form the ends of the ring in their desired planes, then forming a tongue on one end of the ring and lastly forming a recess on the opposite end of the ring to receive the said tongue.

2. The process of manufacturing a piston ring which consists in removing a portion of the ring by cutting away the ring at its upper and lower sides to form complementary stepped portions, then using a tool movable in an axial direction to cut away the outer corner of the lower extension and then utilizing a rotary cutter to recess the opposed end of the ring to receive the re- 20 

